Event information: Conodoguinet Creek Snapshot, March 2, ALLARM offices in Kaufman Hall, Carlisle, PA
The Conodguinet Snapshot was a recurring event organized by ALLARM, the Cumberland County Conservation District (CCCD), and the Condoguinet Creek Watershed Association (CCWA). Its purpose was to bring citizen scientists together from across the creek’s watershed to test water samples from the creek itself and its tributaries in ALLARM’s lab, with one Snapshot each season. This was not only a great chance for community members to see what scientific procedures we use in our lab, but also a time for coming together as a county to gather data on our creek and talk over coffee and donuts.
The history of Conodoguinet Snapshots over the past one and a half years has heavily influenced my sense of community at ALLARM and in Cumberland County. Ever since helping organize the study sites and event logistics for the first Snapshot back in July of 2017, I have looked forward to each upcoming one. Another student and I got to drive all over the county to ensure the proposed sample sites were safe, and that allowed me to familiarize myself a lot more with the geography and watershed. One of the best parts of having this seasonal event was seeing many of the same faces each time and catching up with the folks I had talked with the last time. That is why I am happy (and sad) to say that I will not be participating in another Snapshot. We had our last one this Spring and are looking forward to future partnerships in a more formalized monitoring program with CCWA. Even if we had not decided to transition from the Snapshot to other things, I am graduating and would say bye to it anyway. Goodbye, Snapshot!
Preparing samples to be tested in ALLARM’s lab